SENATE Finance Committee Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday assured that the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program will accelerate learning recovery, after nearly P9 billion was allotted for its implementation under the 2026 national budget.

Based on the Department of Education’s Middle of School Year Assessments, learners in Grades 3 to 6 improved their reading readiness by an average of five points, while those in Grades 7 to 10 posted gains of between six and nine points.

These improvements translate to about 3.42 million learners in Grades 3 to 6 and 1.72 million learners in Grades 7 to 10 inching closer to grade-level reading proficiency.

“Bahagi ng makasaysayang pondong inilaan natin para sa sektor ng edukasyon ngayong taon ang buong suporta para sa pagpapatupad ng ARAL Program. Mahalagang hakbang ito upang masugpo natin ang krisis sa edukasyon na matagal na nating hinaharap,” said Gatchalian, sponsor of the ARAL Program Act.

Under the 2026 national budget, P8.96 billion has been allocated for the ARAL Program, which aims to engage around 440,000 tutors and reach 6.7 million learners for School Year 2026–2027.